The government is discussing the possibility of imposing a ban on the export of aromatic hydrocarbons – benzene, phenol, toluene, and xylenes, Kommersant reports. The reason is a shortage of raw materials in the domestic market, which arose due to the fact that oil companies are increasingly using aromatics in gasoline production.

The production of aromatic hydrocarbons has been falling for several years. In 2025, benzene production decreased by 10.3%, toluene by 6.8%, and xylenes by 17.3%. Currently, oil companies direct most of the aromatics to fuel, not selling it on the open market. After the transition to "Euro-5", the aromatic content in gasoline is limited to 35%, but now a number of refineries are allowed to produce "Euro-2" and "Euro-3" class fuels, where this indicator is higher.

The restriction of supplies has created a serious deficit in several industries. Producers of industrial resins for woodworking were most affected. The price of phenol reached 135–150 thousand rubles per ton, although a year ago it fluctuated at 70–90 thousand. The cost of toluene and orthoxylene reached 250 thousand rubles per ton – such levels have never been seen before, market participants note.

As stated in the article, the export of aromatic hydrocarbons was insignificant even before, and with current prices, it has practically stopped. The introduction of a ban is unlikely to improve the situation with the availability of raw materials, Kommersant's sources believe.